


Cosplay Magic

by marlena_darling



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: I'm so sorry, Impersonation, M/M, Sort of kind of an AU?, cosplaying, i have no idea what this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlena_darling/pseuds/marlena_darling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fic based on this post from tumblr: </p><p>http://wolfwithanironheart.tumblr.com/post/38871369923/the-next-con-i-go-to-i-want-to-dress-up-as-arthur</p><p>What happens when cosplay leads to a little more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cosplay Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wolfwithanironheart on tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=wolfwithanironheart+on+tumblr).



> This really truly has no actual Merlin/Arthur, for which I apologize. It's cosplayers and a really crappy fic based off of a hilarious idea.
> 
> I apologize.

Conventions are such strange, wonderful things. It’s like an imagination come to life and blown out of all proportions. It is chaos but pure, brilliant, amazing chaos. Comic Con is an enthusiastic fan’s dream, but over the years I’ve learned others were just as fun, if not more. There are plenty of aspects to Cons: panels, shops, autograph signings and meeting other fans. For me though, the parts I enjoyed the most, were the cosplayers. 

Cosplay is fascinating. The fact that fans take the time to recreate characters, become them, and usually make the costumes out of their own time, money, and frustration speaks volumes about their loyalty to the characters. They love what they do, and people love seeing fans express it. Sure, there are terrible cosplays, novices that make mistakes, but then are those people who so miraculously recreate a character that it’s as if they jumped right off the page. I’ve never participated in it myself, but I always look on in admiration.

There is simply something about cosplay that makes Cons memorable, and when you think back, there is always that one that protrudes as a stand out point during your time there. This is the story of my personal favorite. 

It was sometime in June, and I was there due to an internship with the Warner Brothers press department. It was the second day, and so far it had proved to be even more chaotic than the first. Two of our shows had panels that day, and it was my job to make sure things were running on schedule and went smoothly. The night before there had been a scheduling problem of booking the same conference hall, which had eventually been resorted to pushing us back an hour.   
Firefly was finally offering a small panel after all these years, so we decided it was best to let them have it; their lines were already much longer than our own, and their fans in more of an up rise. I couldn’t blame them. 

It was the afternoon by the time I managed to even slow my pace to less than a jog. With all the panels and signings going on at the moment the lobby, was less of a river and more of a steady stream of people. It was about as relaxing as it could get at this place. There were a few vendors, some selling comics that I picked through, but my eyes kept trailing to the group off to my right. 

There were a bunch of people, some dressed in fan shirts and holding cameras while giggling, but most had intricate costumes on. Some I recognized instantly; the long, sleek dark jacket matched with a mop of curly hair and a blue scarf signified none other than Sherlock. Another stood behind him, a blue shirt, pointed ears, and a solemn expression as she held her hand up in the familiar gesture that called all star Trek fans. There were plenty of others, some in plaid and tan trench coats, and others in bizarrely detailed costumes I could only assume were out of video games. 

My attention drifted to the large sign standing by a door to the groups left, and instantly I understood. Costume contest. They weren’t anything new; most Cons I went to had them, and they were always fun to watch, even if you didn’t know what some were from. I was actually assigned to work one at our next convention in a few weeks, and I was quite excited.

According to the time on the sign it hadn’t begun yet, and the group all seemed anxious and excited. A glance at my phone reminded me that I didn't have the time to wait around and stare, no matter how much I liked the outfits. Forcing myself back to my routine I entered the sluggish line at the small coffee vendor’s booth, scrolling for the text containing the team’s coffee orders. As I waited I scanned the area absently, taking in the people and the decorations, the different booths lined up one by one down extensively long hallways. It wasn’t until I heard gasps and laughing did I turn towards the cosplayers again, and when I did I could hardly stifle a laugh of my own. 

It was not a difficult costume to recognize. Merlin had ended that past Winter, and in the last six months more fans and cosplay costumes have popped up, as if a tribute to their show now deceased. I had been quite a fan of it myself, still was, and I loved seeing the various fans still trying to keep it alive. I had seen plenty of them already; in fact I managed to snag a picture with a Queen Guinevere the day before.   
Yet this one took it to a whole new level. 

The outfit in itself was wonderful; the dark red shirt underneath a shining silver chain mail, along with the mop of blond hair instantly gave away the character. While one could be distracted by the accuracy of the costume alone, what had most people snickering was what caught my attention.

He was soaking wet. 

The golden hair stuck to his forehead and his boots left a damp trail behind him, causing a few of the passing custodians to frown in disapproval. He easily looked as if he had fallen into one of the fountains outside, and with the confused and disgruntled expression on his face, it was beginning to feel like a valid possibly. I wasn't the only person in line staring now, and an eruption of laughter came from the cosplaying group across the way. 

“Merlin!” 

My lips curled in the corner when I heard, definitely a him, based on the low octave of his voice, called out. His head turned, as if searching before calling out the servant’s name again in a bewildered tone. 

A few people were taking pictures of the wet, shouting mess that was Arthur in the main lobby while others simply laughed and carried on, but all the while he stared back curiously, not letting it get to him. “Merlin, where the hell are you?” 

There was a sudden stir from the group I noticed out of the corner of my eye, and I looked over in time to see a smaller person push out from behind the Sherlock, a girl in a beautiful blue and purple gown on their tail. When I saw who it was, this time I couldn't control the small snort that escaped me. 

It was another boy, not quite tall but not short either, shot out of the group as came to a halt in the middle of the floor. He had bright eyes and a lopsided grin to match, and for a moment I wondered if it actually was Colin Morgan. “Sire!”

The Arthur stopped, a comical drop of water falling into his eyes, and while there was a flash of excitement he barked out. “Merlin, who are these people? What the hell is going on?” 

Everyone’s eyes flashed to the other cosplayers, waiting to see if he’d laugh or give a response, but all he did was give a breathless laugh, grin growing. “You’re back!” 

It was in that moment I realized why exactly the Arthur was soaking wet, and along with multiple others there was a jump in my chest. I was about ready to turn away from the scene, assuming they were done, but that was when the Merlin broke into a run. 

The dark haired boy started at the Arthur, who still looked perplexed, but when the Merlin ecstatically threw his arms around his shoulders it molded into a surprised smile and in return wrapped his wet arms around the brown jacket covered waist. It was then that the look in their eyes changed, softened in a way that was visible from even where I stood, and the crowd watched in surprise as the Merlin rushed to press his lips against the other’s. 

A squeal erupted from the group while some cheered and grinned, taking pictures. I found myself smiling wider too, pleasantly surprised by their planned act. I glanced over to the Morgana that had so obviously been accompanying the Merlin cosplayers, but her expression made me pause. While others had their cameras out, snapping pictures, hers was paused in mid air, her lips parted and eyes wide in shock, as if this was not going as planned. I wavered, staring at her a bit, then looked back at the Merlin and Arthur.

They had broken apart, faces a mere space apart, and both mirrored the surprise on Morgana’s face. Both men seemed unaware of the crowd that had formed to watch them, instead examining each other as if for the first time. Arthur leaned forward again before stopping suddenly with a jerk, eyeing the Merlin still in his arms, then with a coy smirk stole another kiss. 

It was a tender sight, one that kept me smiling as I politely looked away, and when I cast the Morgana another look she was talking frantically with the Sherlock, shaking her head and gesturing towards them. The words ‘I don’t know’ were easy to read on her lips from where I stood, and she repeated the phrase a few times before laughing, finally snapping a picture. 

By the time I had my coffee most of the watchers had dispersed, but a few of the small group still remained. The Morgana girl had went up to the Merlin, and now the Arthur was by his side, both close together but not quite, hands awkwardly drifting in the space between them. They stole glances at each other when one wasn’t watching, and when they did meet eyes both would grin shyly, laughing. I watched the three disappear into the room the contest was to be held in, and I made a mental note to stop in later out of curiosity.

I did, about an hour later, when the contest had come to an end. Apparently a Gandalf and Bilbo had taken the prize, but from the drifters still left it appeared to be a close competition. As I scanned the area, taking in the different people, my eyes landed on a girl leaning against the wall not far from where I stood. It was the Morgana from earlier. Despite my mind tell me to stay put, I made my over and introduced myself, she mentioned her name was Erica's, then asked the question I had been dying to know the answer to.

What she told me had me smiling for the rest of the day. 

The Merlin was her best friend, a guy named Alex. They had bonded over the show those years ago when it was first come on, and had met the same way many fandom friends did. On the internet. The Con was their third one they've gone to together, and would sadly be there last for a while, seeing as they were saving for an apartment together. It wasn't simply those two though; they were a trio. In the same forum they had met in, there had been another guy, Matt. The Arthur. The three had grown incredibly close over years of liveblogging and chatting, which eventually turned into texting, then long nights of skyping and hours-long phone calls. They had been there for each other. They both supported Alex when he came out to them. The two men even drove to Erica's home in Maryland when her father passed two years back. Things had been great, they all had bought tickets to this convention and excitement grew the closer it came, but then bad news hit. 

A few weeks before, Matt called with the news that he wouldn't been able to go. Looking back on it now Erica realized he sounded tense, that Alex hid how disappointed by it all, and how odd it had all seemed. Yet she had been none the wiser, and tried her best to cheer Alex up.

The cosplaying had been a spur of the moment idea caused by the finale, and it did the trick. They had worked incredibly hard on trying to make the perfect costumes, spending the scarce amount of money they had saved up for it, and worked endless hours with a sewing machine. They heard from Matt less, but Alex said nothing about it when Erica brought it up, and she left it at that. 

Erica was as in the dark about the Arthur surprise as Alex had been, she laughed at the memory of pure shock that had blossomed on the Merlin cosplayer's face when the sopping wet Arthur stumbled into the lobby. She also explained that the idea had been an inside joke, but the fact that Matt had actually gone through with it had never entered her mind. Erica hadn't been expecting the kisses.

"It all makes a lot more sense, though." She added, smiling wider. After that both men had come over, hands shyly laced together. We were introduced, and I spent the majority of the day with the group. That was two years ago, and I still speak to them. Erica and I live nearby, even shared an apartment for a brief time. Two years ago, and it all led to this. 

I was in the second row at their wedding today.


End file.
